(SPRINGFIELD) The state of Illinois is being sued over a teaching scholarship program that is being called “racist.” The Pacific Legal Foundation filed a federal civid rights lawsuit on behalf of the American Alliance for Equal Rights challenging the Minority Teachers for Illinois Scholarship Program, saying it discriminates against non-minorities. The program awards scholarships of up to $7,500 per year for tuition, fees, computer allowances, and room & board for up to four academic years of full-time college enrollment. At least 35% of the funds appropriated for scholarhips are reserved for male minority applicants only.
(SPRINGFIELD) The Electoral College becomes an issue every four years with presidential elections, and in Illinois, whoever gets the majority votes, gets all of the state’s 19 electors, although many statewide residents disagree with the “winner takes all” sentiment. A candidate for president of the United States must get 270 of the nation’s 538 electoral votes in order to become the next president. The system was established by the Founding Fathers as a “compromise” between the election of the President by a vote in Congress and election of the President by a popular vote of qualified citizens, according to the National Archives. Only two states, Nebraska and Maine, split their electoral votes proportionally by congressional district with two statewide electors going to the popula vote. Every other state is like Illinois, a winner-take-all state, with a total of 19 Electoral College votes.
(SPRINGFIELD) If the Farmers’ Almanac is correct with its winter forecast, the next few months could be rather unpleasant in the Land of Lincoln. With many factors going into their weather predictions, including celestial events and the impact of a La Nina weather pattern, plus sun spot activity, the motion of the moon, and a variety of other factors, the Almanac forecasters say this winter will be cold, wet, and white. In fact, above-average precipitation is expected for the eastern third of America, including the Midwest, Ohio Valley, and Great Lakes. The Farmers’ Almanac has been around since 1818, providing weather forecasts since day one. The Almanac claims to be 80% correct in its predictions.